Chlark Fanfic: Let It Snow!, Part 2/2
Told y'all I wouldn't keep you waiting too long! :-P
Here's the rest of Let It Snow. Hope you like it, and thanks for reading. I love comments, by the way. ;-)
Title: Let It Snow
Author: BabyDee1
Pairing: Chlark
Rating: G
Warnings: None
Timeline: Futurefic. Sequel to Agenda.
Disclaimer: All characters belong to the CW & DC comics.
Summary: Chloe does not like snow. Her family are determined to change her mind.
Feedback: …makes me squee!
Oh the weather outside is frightful
But the fire is so delightful
And since we’ve no place to go
Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!
- Frank Sinatra, Let It Snow
***
Read Part 1 here.
Let It Snow
Part 2
“So, are you happy you came out in the snow with us, Mom?” Gabby asked as the three of them lay in the snow flapping their arms and legs.
“Yes, I enjoyed myself,” Chloe admitted with a smile. “Thanks, you two; I had a great time.”
“Glad you liked it,” Clark said smugly. “…even though we had to coerce you out here by relocating your two favourite inanimate objects.”
“Which you are going to return to me the moment I step back inside the house,” she said sternly. “But still - thanks for getting me out here. I really did have fun.”
The baby in her belly nudged her firmly under the ribs, as if begging to differ. Chloe giggled and squeezed her husband’s hand. “And this little fella in here is starting to protest, so you’d best help me to my feet now.”
Clark and Gabby got to their feet and gently lifted her up. Just then, Martha opened the front door and stuck her head around it. “Christmas lunch is served!” she announced.
Chloe’s smile widened. “And I’m about to have an even better time. Coming, Mrs Kent!”
***
Clark folded his arms and smiled as his heavily pregnant wife waddled through the show and went back into the house.
“It’s great to see her so happy,” Gabby said beside him.
He wrapped an arm around his daughter’s shoulders and gave her a quick squeeze. “I know. I can’t believe how lucky and how happy a family we are; all of us. It’s all I ever wanted, and to have that with Chloe is just…” he trailed off and swallowed, feeling suddenly emotional. “From the moment I met her, I knew deep down that she was the one.”
“That’s not to say you didn’t get distracted along the way,” Gabby chuckled. “Who was that girl with the shiny hair again?”
“Hey, the less said about all those wasted years, the better,” he warned as they walked towards the house. “The present, and the future, are what matters, and in less than a month, our amazing family is set to increase by one. My life is perfect.”
He’d expected Gabby to acknowledge his statement immediately, but when her silence stretched on, he frowned. “Gabby, is everything alright?”
Her shoulder rose and fell in a brief shrug. “Well…I just want us all to be happy…”
“…and we are happy, all of us,” he said. “Unless there’s something you’re not telling me…?”
She gnawed on her lower lip, looking freakishly like her mother, and then took a deep breath. “I think Mom would be happier if she could speak to my grandfather,” she finally answered.
He sighed and stroked her hair. “You need to be patient with her, honey. She and my father get on a lot better now, but we both know he’ll never be her favourite person.”
“I wasn’t talking about your father.”
“You mean Gabe?” he asked incredulously, his eyes widening in surprise. “Gabby, you know what your mother’s stance is on that issue. Why would even think that bringing her father back into her life would be any benefit to her?”
His daughter stared at him with shocked, hurt eyes. “I can’t believe you just asked me that,” he whispered.
Clark let out a long, slow breath. “Our situation was different, Gabby.”
“How?”
“You know now,” he replied gently. “I didn’t know you existed. Gabe chose to walk away from your mother, and I’m not going to rake over old wounds by suggesting that she look him up again; not when she’s this close to the end of her pregnancy.”
Gabby folded her arms. “Don’t you think he’d want to know he’s about to become a grandfather again?”
Clark snorted. “He didn’t care much for the idea the first time around.”
“Of course not; Mom was so young back then,” Gabby defended. “Put yourself in his shoes, Dad. If I told you right now that I was pregnant, what would your initial reaction be? Be honest.”
Damn it, but Gabby had a way of making him challenge himself in the hardest of ways. He had to admit the mere thought of his baby having a baby was absolutely terrifying.
“You’d say I’d ruined my life, wouldn’t you?” she guessed.
“You’re fourteen,” he replied shortly. “Your mother was in her early twenties.”
“I’ll always be your little girl, Dad, no matter how old I get,” she said softly. “And the same is probably true for Mom and her dad. Of course he wouldn’t be happy about his only child becoming a young single mother. But her situation is different now. She’s married and settled.”
“So you think he’d be happy to see her now?” he queried. “He was pretty clear about his feelings back then, from what your mother said.”
“People change, Dad,” she replied. “Even Mom’s changed. If she hadn’t, you and I would never have met, and we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
“Gabby-”
The screen door opened, interrupting him, and Chloe beckoned to them.
“Now, I know you two don’t technically need food,” she began, “…but your mother has gone to a lot of trouble making this wonderful lunch, and I’d hate for it all to get ruined.”
Clark smiled. “We’ll be right in, honey.”
She nodded and ducked back into the house. As soon as the door was closed, he lowered his voice and turned to his daughter.
“Alright, Gabby; if you’re determined to track your grandfather down, I know from experience that nothing I say or do will stop you,” he replied. “All I ask is that you wait until after your brother’s born before you let your mother know. Like I said, I don’t want her getting upset.”
“I promise, Dad,” she said solemnly. “And I’m not trying to be meddlesome; I just want her to have the same happiness with her father that I have with mine.”
His heart melted with warmth, and he pulled her close for a hug. “I know, kiddo,” he said with a sigh. “I really can’t argue with that.”
Gabby’s face lit up in a huge grin. “Come on - let’s go sample the best pies this side of Kansas.”
***
“There you are!” Chloe exclaimed as they let themselves into the house. “We were about to send out a search party!”
“I’ll go help Grandma bring the dishes out,” Gabby said, and dashed into the kitchen. Clark immediately walked over to his wife and took the dinner plates out of her hands with a disapproving head-shake.
“No heavy lifting,” he said sternly.
“Since when is dinner plates heavy lifting?” she retorted. “Besides, I’m starving. I could lift a horse right now.”
“Well thankfully, you won’t have to - not while I’m around,” he said, rubbing her nose with his.
“I know,” she replied, smiling. “You spoil me. And I love you for it.”
“I know,” he said smugly. “And I’ll prove it by making you up a platter of anything and everything on the menu.”
She beamed, her smile wide and radiant. “I could definitely get used to that.”
His mother and daughter soon joined them at the table, and they said grace and tucked into their lovely, home-cooked meal. Clark glanced around at his family, his gaze finally resting on his wife and her swollen belly.
Maybe Gabby was right; maybe it was time to offer Gabe Sullivan a second chance at fatherhood. As long as the approach was well-handled, Clark could see no objection. If Gabe wasn’t interested in his daughter or her family, at least they’d have tried, and Chloe would never have to know. But he knew that once Gabe set eyes on his grand-daughter, he would be smitten; hook, line and sinker. He wouldn’t be able to turn her away.
Clark smiled. He had a sneaky feeling his happy family was about to get a whole lot happier.
***
The End.
Here's the rest of Let It Snow. Hope you like it, and thanks for reading. I love comments, by the way. ;-)
Title: Let It Snow
Author: BabyDee1
Pairing: Chlark
Rating: G
Warnings: None
Timeline: Futurefic. Sequel to Agenda.
Disclaimer: All characters belong to the CW & DC comics.
Summary: Chloe does not like snow. Her family are determined to change her mind.
Feedback: …makes me squee!
Oh the weather outside is frightful
But the fire is so delightful
And since we’ve no place to go
Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!
- Frank Sinatra, Let It Snow
***
Read Part 1 here.
Let It Snow
Part 2
“So, are you happy you came out in the snow with us, Mom?” Gabby asked as the three of them lay in the snow flapping their arms and legs.
“Yes, I enjoyed myself,” Chloe admitted with a smile. “Thanks, you two; I had a great time.”
“Glad you liked it,” Clark said smugly. “…even though we had to coerce you out here by relocating your two favourite inanimate objects.”
“Which you are going to return to me the moment I step back inside the house,” she said sternly. “But still - thanks for getting me out here. I really did have fun.”
The baby in her belly nudged her firmly under the ribs, as if begging to differ. Chloe giggled and squeezed her husband’s hand. “And this little fella in here is starting to protest, so you’d best help me to my feet now.”
Clark and Gabby got to their feet and gently lifted her up. Just then, Martha opened the front door and stuck her head around it. “Christmas lunch is served!” she announced.
Chloe’s smile widened. “And I’m about to have an even better time. Coming, Mrs Kent!”
***
Clark folded his arms and smiled as his heavily pregnant wife waddled through the show and went back into the house.
“It’s great to see her so happy,” Gabby said beside him.
He wrapped an arm around his daughter’s shoulders and gave her a quick squeeze. “I know. I can’t believe how lucky and how happy a family we are; all of us. It’s all I ever wanted, and to have that with Chloe is just…” he trailed off and swallowed, feeling suddenly emotional. “From the moment I met her, I knew deep down that she was the one.”
“That’s not to say you didn’t get distracted along the way,” Gabby chuckled. “Who was that girl with the shiny hair again?”
“Hey, the less said about all those wasted years, the better,” he warned as they walked towards the house. “The present, and the future, are what matters, and in less than a month, our amazing family is set to increase by one. My life is perfect.”
He’d expected Gabby to acknowledge his statement immediately, but when her silence stretched on, he frowned. “Gabby, is everything alright?”
Her shoulder rose and fell in a brief shrug. “Well…I just want us all to be happy…”
“…and we are happy, all of us,” he said. “Unless there’s something you’re not telling me…?”
She gnawed on her lower lip, looking freakishly like her mother, and then took a deep breath. “I think Mom would be happier if she could speak to my grandfather,” she finally answered.
He sighed and stroked her hair. “You need to be patient with her, honey. She and my father get on a lot better now, but we both know he’ll never be her favourite person.”
“I wasn’t talking about your father.”
“You mean Gabe?” he asked incredulously, his eyes widening in surprise. “Gabby, you know what your mother’s stance is on that issue. Why would even think that bringing her father back into her life would be any benefit to her?”
His daughter stared at him with shocked, hurt eyes. “I can’t believe you just asked me that,” he whispered.
Clark let out a long, slow breath. “Our situation was different, Gabby.”
“How?”
“You know now,” he replied gently. “I didn’t know you existed. Gabe chose to walk away from your mother, and I’m not going to rake over old wounds by suggesting that she look him up again; not when she’s this close to the end of her pregnancy.”
Gabby folded her arms. “Don’t you think he’d want to know he’s about to become a grandfather again?”
Clark snorted. “He didn’t care much for the idea the first time around.”
“Of course not; Mom was so young back then,” Gabby defended. “Put yourself in his shoes, Dad. If I told you right now that I was pregnant, what would your initial reaction be? Be honest.”
Damn it, but Gabby had a way of making him challenge himself in the hardest of ways. He had to admit the mere thought of his baby having a baby was absolutely terrifying.
“You’d say I’d ruined my life, wouldn’t you?” she guessed.
“You’re fourteen,” he replied shortly. “Your mother was in her early twenties.”
“I’ll always be your little girl, Dad, no matter how old I get,” she said softly. “And the same is probably true for Mom and her dad. Of course he wouldn’t be happy about his only child becoming a young single mother. But her situation is different now. She’s married and settled.”
“So you think he’d be happy to see her now?” he queried. “He was pretty clear about his feelings back then, from what your mother said.”
“People change, Dad,” she replied. “Even Mom’s changed. If she hadn’t, you and I would never have met, and we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
“Gabby-”
The screen door opened, interrupting him, and Chloe beckoned to them.
“Now, I know you two don’t technically need food,” she began, “…but your mother has gone to a lot of trouble making this wonderful lunch, and I’d hate for it all to get ruined.”
Clark smiled. “We’ll be right in, honey.”
She nodded and ducked back into the house. As soon as the door was closed, he lowered his voice and turned to his daughter.
“Alright, Gabby; if you’re determined to track your grandfather down, I know from experience that nothing I say or do will stop you,” he replied. “All I ask is that you wait until after your brother’s born before you let your mother know. Like I said, I don’t want her getting upset.”
“I promise, Dad,” she said solemnly. “And I’m not trying to be meddlesome; I just want her to have the same happiness with her father that I have with mine.”
His heart melted with warmth, and he pulled her close for a hug. “I know, kiddo,” he said with a sigh. “I really can’t argue with that.”
Gabby’s face lit up in a huge grin. “Come on - let’s go sample the best pies this side of Kansas.”
***
“There you are!” Chloe exclaimed as they let themselves into the house. “We were about to send out a search party!”
“I’ll go help Grandma bring the dishes out,” Gabby said, and dashed into the kitchen. Clark immediately walked over to his wife and took the dinner plates out of her hands with a disapproving head-shake.
“No heavy lifting,” he said sternly.
“Since when is dinner plates heavy lifting?” she retorted. “Besides, I’m starving. I could lift a horse right now.”
“Well thankfully, you won’t have to - not while I’m around,” he said, rubbing her nose with his.
“I know,” she replied, smiling. “You spoil me. And I love you for it.”
“I know,” he said smugly. “And I’ll prove it by making you up a platter of anything and everything on the menu.”
She beamed, her smile wide and radiant. “I could definitely get used to that.”
His mother and daughter soon joined them at the table, and they said grace and tucked into their lovely, home-cooked meal. Clark glanced around at his family, his gaze finally resting on his wife and her swollen belly.
Maybe Gabby was right; maybe it was time to offer Gabe Sullivan a second chance at fatherhood. As long as the approach was well-handled, Clark could see no objection. If Gabe wasn’t interested in his daughter or her family, at least they’d have tried, and Chloe would never have to know. But he knew that once Gabe set eyes on his grand-daughter, he would be smitten; hook, line and sinker. He wouldn’t be able to turn her away.
Clark smiled. He had a sneaky feeling his happy family was about to get a whole lot happier.
***
The End.